The Sail Loft

DARTMOUTH

SX874510 FOSS STREET 673-1/8/146 (East side) 10/03/87 No.26 The Sail Loft

GV II

Warehouse, now used as a rigging shop and sail loft. Early C19 with earlier origins, some c1950 alterations. Local limestone rubble with some red brick dressings, west end is painted, and secondary brick infill on north side is roughcast; asbestos slate roof. PLAN: L-plan, the crosswing occupied by and (re)built with No.1 Broadstone House, Broadstone (qv) adjoining to the north. The main block, the old warehouse, is built on a rough east-west axis on a very slight curve. EXTERIOR: Originally 3 storeys, it was repaired after wartime blast damage and converted to present 2 storeys. The west end has a coped gable above first-floor former loading hatch, now the main doorway to the sail loft up an external flight of C20 iron steps, and full-width ground-floor doorway, both containing plain C20 doors. South side has 5-window front, C20 windows with glazing bars under brick segmental arches, and ground floor has tall openings, now blocked. It is also said to include iron mooring rings. On the north side the 3 wide bays alongside the front garden of Broadstone House (qv) were originally boarded between stone piers but are now infilled with rendered brick under large full-width windows with glazing bars. East end has a first-floor loading hatch with side light in the blocking of a larger original loading hatch. South-east corner is rounded, but corbels out to square at the top for the hipped roof. Wall continues northwards into No.1 Broadstone House (qv) where it contains 12- and 16-pane sashes. INTERIOR: Originally 3 storeys, floors removed c1950 and warehouse converted to 2 storeys. New first floor on cast-iron joists which are said to be old train rails from Plymouth. The southern windows have internal lintels, large pieces of reused timber. Roof carried on softwood A-frame trusses with lap-jointed collars set on tie beams, all fixed with wooden pegs. According to the owner the floors and framing on the north side included much C17 carpentry including a beam dated 1633 or 1638. HISTORY: The warehouse seems to have been rebuilt alongside the old quay at the same time that Broadstone House (qv) was divided, and the north wing is part of the house. South side wall rose from quayside before the harbour was filled in in 1878. Parts of the building may be earlier than the C19 and it has considerable interest as part of the maritime history of Dartmouth.

Listing NGR: SX8772251486